Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 13, 1995 TAG: 9509130034
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Three renovated buildings, including the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, were cited Tuesday as evidence of renewal in Roanoke's downtown area.
The projects won Golden Trowel awards from Downtown Roanoke Inc., presented during the organization's 35th anniversary luncheon at the hotel. The citations honor "new and significant physical symbols of the vitality found in our downtown area."
Besides the $40 million remodeling of Hotel Roanoke and addition of a new conference center, the other two winners were a converted house at 114 Day Ave. S.W. and the building at 505 S. Jefferson St. that now houses offices of Budd, Ammen & Co.
The accounting firm spent $530,000 to renovate a former restaurant for its Jefferson Street offices. Building Specialists Inc. was credited with the creation of offices in the Day Avenue house, valued at about $250,000.
The citations were made as downtown merchants and property owners were told to foster more joint public-private ventures to revive the city's central business district.
James A. Cloar, president of the Tampa (Fla.) Downtown Partnership, urged a partnership between public and private interests, citing the results in several projects there.
He said the Florida Aquarium chose downtown Tampa as a location over St. Petersburg because Tampa corporate leaders got together and raised $500,000 to guarantee the project. He said those guarantees formed the start-up capital for the aquarium, which opened in March. It is a popular attraction, Cloar said.
Tampa also began work Tuesday, while Cloar was in Roanoke, for its new sports arena.
Debate raged for years whether the sports arena should be downtown or in the suburbs near the football stadium, Cloar said.
Spearheaded by an electric company and a bank, he said, downtown businesses pushed a corporate suite leasing campaign that demonstrated more support for the downtown location than the suburban site.
Several banks, the utility company and a major property developer followed that campaign by obtaining an option on land identified as the best site for the arena. They also handled in advance the planning and permitting studies that finally brought the sports arena downtown, Cloar said.
The Tampa Downtown Partnership also developed a commuter center in an abandoned filling station downtown.
Cloar said the front office sells bus passes and gives out bus information, but the major achievement is the development of locker rooms in the former auto bays.
People can bike or jog to work downtown, he said, then shower and change in the locker rooms before going to the office. Buses also have bike racks so people can jog or bike to the bus route from home, then ride the rest of the way to the commuter center.
Members of Downtown Roanoke Inc. elected two new directors and re-elected eight others during the luncheon.
Going on the board are Robert S. Callahan Jr. of 309 First Street and Gary D. Baldwin of Blue Ridge Crafters Emporium.
They replace James Cubby of V Magazine and F. Victoria Taylor of The Gift Niche.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***